Black Friday Should Help Boost November Retail Sales (dailyfinance)
“Analysts are projecting major merchants will see 3% to 4% increases in November sales over the same month last year when they report tallies on Thursday. More importantly, they are expecting the momentum will carry on throughout the holiday season and help retailers post real sales growth again, following the two recession holidays of 2008 and 2009.”

As more consumers flock online for the holidays, what becomes of brick-and-mortar shops? (kennesawpatch)
“Smith is an assistant professor of marketing at Kennesaw State University.  He said the rise of online retail poses a huge threat to brick-and-mortar sales, especially smaller specialty stores, but won’t eliminate them.”

Retailers in Elmhurst report different starts to holiday shopping season (tribelocal)
“The holiday shopping season is underway and retailers in downtown Elmhurst have varying takes—from lukewarm to bustling — on how sales are going.”

After Three Years on the Brink, Retail Real Estate is Set to Recover in 2011 (retailtraffic)
“It’s a risky transaction because you are trying to forecast when the rental market will come back in a market where you don’t see it,” Walter says. “It’s not that it’s not going to be leased at some point. The question is when. But they are happy enough with the return to be willing to sit on it over time.”

Competitive Spirit, Black Monday and Promotional Discounts Give Rise to a Merry Online Retail Season (forbes)
“In a nationwide survey1 consumers identified two key areas that are important during the shopping process. 43% of consumers earning less than $100,000 and 38.2% of consumers earning $100,000 or more stated that sales or price discounts were the reason for selecting a store during the holiday season. Selection of merchandise also identified as a reason for selecting a store during the holiday season (20% and 25.8% respectively).”